The average AFL fan loves nothing more than to complain about something. Whether it is the rules, the umpires or the game ‘going soft’, everyone has been throwing in their two cents about the game this year.
But I think one thing that is in great shape is the rivalries among certain teams. I am not talking about your traditional rivalries like Carlton-Collingwood that will last the test of time.
But more so I am looking at the rivalries that have emerged over the past couple of seasons.
We witnessed a classic last night at Simmons Stadium between Geelong and Fremantle, and not for the first time.
Despite the denial of respective coaches Chris Scott and Ross Lyon, the two sides possess an unyielding hatred of each other.
Some say the rivalry stretches as far back as the 2008, to a game which involved an off-the-ball incident that saw Dean Solomon’s elbow fracture the cheekbone of Cameron Ling and result in an eight-week suspension for the Docker.
Ross Lyon’s addition adds extra spice as we all know the former St Kilda coach has unfinished business with the Cats.
And before accepting the role as Cats’ senior coach, Chris Scott serves as an assistant coach with Fremantle.
But the tension between both sides grew last year in part due to Dockers’ remarkable qualifying final win at Simmons Stadium.
The Dockers boast a number of players that supporters love to hate, most notably, Ryan Crowley and Hayden Ballantyne.
Both of those players have a history against the Cats.
Who could forget champion fullback Matthew Scarlett’s uncharacteristic hook to the chin of Ballantyne?
While Crowley’s superb blanketing jobs on Joel Selwood and Steve Johnson over the years have left him open for abuse from Cats players and supporters.
Geelong and Hawthorn, arguably the game’s current and most relevant rivalry, hasn’t closed the book yet.
The infamous Kennett curse has dogged the Hawks for years now but Hawthorn always manage to win the games that matter, such as the 2008 grand final and last year’s preliminary final.
Mutual supporters will be salivating at the prospect of these two sides meeting in September this year.
The emerging rivalry is between Hawthorn and Sydney. These two teams have had a couple of amazing matches in the past few years with the 2012 grand final one of the most entertaining premiership deciders of the modern era.
Lance Franklin’s controversial move to the Swans in the off-season has fuelled more tension between the two clubs.
But while there is an element of hatred with the aforementioned rivalries, I feel as though the Swans-Hawks one is built on mutual respect.
Not surprisingly, the rivalries mentioned here involve some of the main premiership contenders of 2014 which makes the upcoming finals series tantalising for all supporters.
Twitter – @jclark182
AR
Guest
Absolutely. Hawthorn v Geelong is a narrative that constantly builds, even for neutrals...while Syd v WCE seems to have waned in the past few years. You can feel the Qld derby building and the NSW rivalry will take a few years yet...but it's absolutely a good thing.
Axle an the guru
Guest
Hawthorn and Essendon definately still exists. Richmond v Essendon yeah maybe gone. One of the better rivalries to go would be the Carlton v South Melboune, which included the 1945 bloodbath grand final. The biggest of all rivalries that is no longer around would be Melbourne v Collingwood. Seven Grand Finals against each other the last one in 1964. A truly great rivalrie in every sence of the word.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I like the fact that across the AFL, over the past 20 or so years, rivalries have emerged which go beyond the traditional four big melbourne clubs - and that's a good thing.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
As a Hawks fan, never really viewed the Cats and us as a rivalry, for it is one sided. They beat us in games that really do not matter, and we break their hearts in games that matter. Even going back to the 80s. with us robbing them of finals in the last round of 87 at KP, and then the 89 Gf followed by 08, and last years Prelim. The big rivalries to me, is, and always will be the Dons- that is a true blood feud, even if it has simmered for a bit, the feeling is always there Second, would be the Blues, for how they used to own us in the late 70's/early 80's, and their supporters used to treat us like dirt at PP Lastly, the Swans, who are starting to create that feeling, by breaking our hearts in 2012, then rubbing salt into our wounds by stealing Buddy From an historical perspective the Punt road rivalry in the 70's between pies/Tiges was intense
Michael huston
Guest
Some of my favourite rivalries are Sydney and West Coast, because they just had some fascinating matches, Hawthorn and Geelong, because nobody can figure it out, Adelaide and Port, because the title of SA's top team is the most coveted of all the states, Sydney and Hawthorn, because they're two evenly matched sides that play top footy, and Collingwood and Carlton, because they've cross-bred like crazy and it goes back a century-plus. Not sure rivalries like Hawthorn and Essendon and Richmond and Essendon still exist. It seems manufactured, as if they're just hating each other based on history.